The town’s annual Christmas tree recycling program noticed a significant drop in evergreens in comparison with final yr — and officers are blaming unhealthy climate and treeflation.
“Mulchfest” noticed at the least 46,054 sweet-smelling timber put by means of the chipper, floor up and returned to eco-conscious New Yorkers to take residence for their very own gardens and plant sanctuaries.
However though that’s a drop from the document 52,000 in 2025 it’s mulch ado about nothing, Parks Deputy Commissioner Mark Focht instructed The Put up.
“We’re more than happy with the participation we acquired this yr from the general public,” Parks Deputy Commissioner Mark Focht instructed The Put up.
“It’s actually much less concerning the numbers and it’s extra concerning the expertise for the general public. It’s additionally about ensuring that these timber don’t find yourself in a landfill. That they’re put again into productive use by creating mulch that we are able to use in parks or the general public can use at their very own avenue tree in entrance of their home or of their gardens or of their sock drawer to offer lovely smelling potpourri.”
Final yr’s 2025 haul set a document for probably the most recycled timber in a traditional yr.
The best-ever stands at 58,000 in 2023 — a complete the Parks Division stated was solely reached after the town struck a cope with distributors who didn’t promote out in a yr of excessive costs.
New Yorkers had been confronted with an analogous state of affairs this yr, however prices didn’t fairly attain the staggering $300 costs that they noticed two seasons prior.
Though some sellers had been hawking timber for an eye-popping $200, the typical for the town was nearer to $119, in line with Gothamist.
The dreary climate in the course of the closing weekend of Mulchfest, the largest of the season that options video games and scorching chocolate, may need additionally deterred some folks from making the journey with the timber.
This yr’s Mulchfest whole does, nonetheless, beat out the 42,000 that had been mulched two years in the past in 2024.
“It’s actually an unimaginable occasion. It’s one we look ahead to, and my colleagues roll their eyes, however I preserve saying it’s the best-smelling occasion we ever do as a result of it actually is. And it’s simply actually enjoyable,” stated Focht.
“It’s nice to see households and all of the completely different ways in which they convey their timber: in purchasing carts, in elements, little youngsters carrying their Charlie Brown tree up. It’s a very, very nice occasion. And it touches on so many components: it’s family-focused, it’s enjoyable, it’s environmentally applicable. It’s simply an all-around very nice occasion.”
But once more, Brooklyn took the crown for the borough that mulched probably the most timber.
Practically 3,000 had been chipped throughout Prospect Park — the exact same park “Tree-cycling” was born in 1988, the Park Slope Civic Council-sponsored occasion that reworked into the Mulchfest celebrated right now.
Marine Park in south Brooklyn got here in No. 2 after churning 2,300 Christmas timber into plant gasoline.
The best-performing Mulchfest website, nonetheless, was Randall’s Island, the place an unimaginable 9,000 timber had been recycled — however Focht admitted that the majority had been donated from distributors who didn’t see in time for the vacations.
The excellent news is that the majority disposed Christmas timber within the 5 boroughs do get recycled come what may, even when they don’t make it to a Mulchfest get together.
The piles of evergreens kicked to the curb yearly are collected by the Sanitation Division, which whittles all types of timber, previous vegetation and landscaping supplies into compost.
And even those that missed this yr’s Mulchfest can nonetheless take residence a number of the gold — there’s a big pile of mulch sitting at Marine Park that’s nonetheless up for grabs, Focht revealed.
